Friends/Le Mensonge

One meeting. One conversation. One suspicion that sets off an avalanche.

This autumn, Garrison Sztuki — the theater of positive emotions in Warsaw will open the new season with a strong blow — the premiere of the play “Friends/Le Mensonge”, an intelligent and perverse comedy by one of the most famous contemporary French playwrights, Florian Zeller.

This show is more than theater. This is a bold experiment, a game in which private emotions are mixed with fiction.

“Friends/Le Mensonge” is a bravely written, suspenseful text in which everyone can see themselves as if in a mirror. This is a unique mirror, because on the stage we will see... real married couples.

Agata Wątróbska and Janusz Chabior, Zuzanna Grabowska and Paweł Domagała/Agnieszka Głowacka and Piotr Głowacki.

Three acting duets, which are united not only by work, but also by private life. Their relationships, their shared experiences mix with the emotions of the protagonists of the stories, giving the spectacle an intensity that cannot be directed. Every look, touch, understatement, takes on a special meaning.

The story is seemingly simple: two friendly married couples meet for dinner. A glass of wine, small jokes, a great atmosphere... Until the moment when a casual conversation deviates on the subject of betrayal and contemplation, is it always necessary to tell the truth or maybe sometimes a lie is a better solution? Slowly everything begins to fall apart — trust, loyalty, sense of security. The game begins, it is no longer known who is right and who is hiding something.

Studies prove that most of us lie 1-2 times a day, and most often we do it to protect ourselves or someone close to us.

Florian Zeller, the master of modern comedy of manners in the play “FRIENDS/Le Mensonge” breaks down these mechanisms into prime factors, showing how thin the line is between a protective lie and a destructive half-truth. With surgical precision, she balances between humor and psychological depth, exploring the fragile construction of trust in relationships. He entertains with sharp dialogue, surprises with plot twists and provokes questions to which there are no simple answers.

The new performance of the Garrison Sztuki Theater provides the viewer with a unique experience — the story of friendly married couples is played by actors who form relationships even outside the stage. It is a theater where fiction and reality meet before the eyes of the audience, creating a tension that cannot be repeated in any other configuration.

Premiere: November 21, 2025, Teatr Garnizon Sztuki, Warsaw.

Cast:Alice — Agata WątróbskaPaul — Janusz Chabior MICHAEL — Paweł Domagała/Piotr Głowacki LAURENCE — Zuzanna Grabowska/Agnieszka Głowacka

Author: Florian Zeller Translation: Barbara GrzegorzewskaReziesSeries: Agata WątróbskAscensography and costumes: Aneta SuskiewiczMusic: Łukasz Borowiecki